Piano-action frame.



H. T. BILLINGS.

PIANO ACTION FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1914.

1 1 77,298. Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

wvudoz THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN co., WASHIN TON, D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT oFrIoE.

HAROLD 'r. BILLINGS, or MILWAUKEE, Wiscons n.

PIANO-ACTION FRAME.

T all whom it mag concern.

Be it known that I, HARGLD T. BILLINGS,

, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee,,ccunty ofv Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in PianoAction Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pianoaction frames.

The object of myinvention is to provide av form of structure in which the parts may be secured together with maximum rigidity and with a minimum number of fastenings,

the fastenings, however, beingarranged to cooperate with the frame so that the parts will be more securely and rigidly connected than has heretofore been the case.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an end elevation of a piano action frame embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of one end portion of the frame. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation, showing a modified form of construction.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The bracket A has the general contour of an ordinary piano action bracket, but it is provided with a notch at B in which a butt line rail 0 will fit, said rail comprising a commercial U-bar or channel iron rail of the proper size. This rail C is fitted to the notch B with its side flanges conforming to the upper and lower Walls of said notch and the connecting flange conforming to the base of the notch to which it is secured by a sinle screw. The whip line rail E is similarly ormed, but as this rail is fitted to the nar-' rower lower portion of the action bracket, I preferably provide said action bracket with a rearwardly extending projection F over which the U-shaped whip line rail may fit. In this case, the upper and lower'fianges of the bar project inwardly toward the bracket standard, and a single screw D serves to secure the connecting web of the rail E to the outer Wall of the projection F.

The tongue rail G is similar in form to the whip line rail E and is similarly connected with the bracket A, but in different pianos the tongue rail is located at different elevations, and in order that the bracket may be utilized for different piano structhe tongue rail, in the same manner that the U-bar is received which constitutes the whip vided witha hole to receive the connecting screw D.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a slight modification, in which the projections H are omitted, the lower portion of the bracket A having a smooth rear face, except that it is provided with a series of holes (Z to receive the screws D". In this construction the screws D" constitute the sole connecting means between the tonguerails G and the bracket, but as the holes cl may be located in close proximity, it is obvious that a greater range of adjustment is permissible in the structure shown in Fig. 3, although the tongue rail is held with less security than in the structure shown in Fig. 1. The bracket A is also provided with a forwardly extending projection J, to which a U-bar' K is fitted, this bar constituting the regulating rail of the piano frame. Both the projection and the bar are substantially the same in form as the projection F and whip line rail E above described. The screw D connects this regulating rail with the projec tion J I claim 1. A piano action frame, including the combination of a supporting bracket and a set of channel iron rails, said bracket being formed with supporting bearing surfaces adapted to engage the three walls of each channel iron rail, and a fastening connecting each rail with the bracket.

2. A piano action frame, including the combination with a set of channel iron rails, of an action bracket notched to receive one of said rails in three sided engagement with the exterior surfaces thereof, and having projections adapted for three sided engagement with the interior faces of other of said rails, substantially as described.

3. A piano action frame, including the combination with a set of channel iron rails, of an action bracket notched to receive one of said rails in three sided engagement with the exterior surfaces of said rails, and hav- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M314, 28, 1916, a lication filed October 10, 1914. Serial no. 866,002. i

ing projections adapted for three sided engagement with the interior faces of other of said rails, each of said rails being also connected with the bracket by a single screw extending through the central connecting flange of the rail.

4. A piano action bracket, having a vertical series of screw holes on its rear face'at the lower end thereof, adapted to facilitate connecting tongue-rails therewith at difierent'eleva'tions i'n-the same vertical plane.

5. :A piano action bracket, having a'series of screw holes o'n'i ts rear face at the lower end thereof, adapted to facilitate connecting tonguerails therewith at difier'ent elevations, in combination with a set of tongue rails also having screw holes adapted to register with the bracket screw holes, each Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

of said tongue rails comprising a channel iron bar, substantially as described.

6. Apiano action bracket, provided in its lower portion with a series of rectangular projections, each adapted to fit between the upper and lower flanges'of a channel iron tongue rail, in combination with a channel iron'tongu'erail fitted to one of said projections and secured thereto by a connecting screw extending through the connecting web oftherailand into a threaded socket in" the projection,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I'afli'x iny'signat ure in the presence of twowitnesses;

'HAROLDT. BILLINGS.

Witnesses:

JA's. B; ERWIN, LEVERETT C. WHEELER.

Washington, D. G. 

